I Wont Hurt You
by PartyintheTARDIS12
Summary: My version of the first X MEN movie, with a twist on how Logan and Rogue meet, but can their relationship grow beyond friendship, or will Logan's fear of hurting the one he truly loves keep them apart?
1. Chapter 1

The trucker stopped on the side of the road; the sudden jerk of the cab coming to a halt waking me up. I waited groggily as he got out, walked around the front of the truck and opened the door for me.

"This is it," he said as I hopped down.

It was bitterly cold. I looked around but the only thing that I could see was a building across the street, barely shown by the glow of a streetlamp. The trucker shut the passenger door and started to walk away when I spoke up.

"Where are we?" I asked, my southern accent still thick even after being on the road for eight months. "I thought you said you were gonna take me as far as Laughlin City."

He stopped. "This is Laughlin City," he replied and continued toward the building, dodging a beeping pick-up truck as he crossed the road.

I was curious, and freezing, so I crossed the road and hurried toward the brick building. Inside there were two rooms: a bar and a larger room that had a wrestling ring inside a metal cage. Both rooms were filled with people. It was very loud; yelling and screaming, booing and cheering. There were two men in the ring, one was lying face down on the floor. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the other. He was standing in a corner of the cage closest to me smoking a cigar. He was rough looking, with dark messy hair and mutton chops to match. He was clad only in jeans and there were dog tags hanging loosely from his neck. He was very muscular. A third man strolled into the center of the ring holding a microphone; I guessed that he was the referee.

A bell rung three times and two larger men came into the ring and dragged the guy on the floor out. The referee began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen! In all of my years I've never seen anything like this!" he started.

"Come on, come on," someone shouted impatiently.

"Are you gonna let this man walk away with your money?" the referee continued, motioning to the guy in the corner.

"NOOOOOOOO!!" roared the crowd.

"I'll fight him!" a man shouted and made his way out of the bleachers.

Some of the crowd cheered, some booed.

"Ladies and gentlemen: our savior!"

I moved around, trying to get a better look. The bell rung again and 'savior guy' started wailing on 'shirtless guy', punching and kicking him in the back. Every time a blow connected, I winced. Then 'savior guy' let 'shirtless guy' have a go at him. Two fists came into contact and 'savior guy' howled in pain. That gave 'shirtless guy' the chance to get a whack at him. 'Shirtless guy' knocked 'savior guy on the side of the head, then kneed him in the stomach, which made 'savior guy' stumble backwards. Finally, 'shirtless guy' head butted 'savior guy', and that knocked him out cold. The bell rung yet again as 'shirtless guy' gave his lifeless opponent a final kick and returned to his corner.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, tonight's winner, and still King of the Cage: The Wolverine!"

The crowd roared. I waited for almost everyone in the room to leave before wandering into the mostly empty bar.

X X X

I sat down on a stool in the bar and dropped my duffel bag beside me. Someone was sweeping the cage, and the trucker that drove me up here was on lying on the couch behind me, asleep. There was music playing softly in the background, and a television above the bar that was on at a low volume. I didn't pay much attention to it; it was the half-full tip jar that caught my eye.

"Want something new, honey?" the bartender asked in a gruff voice, then noticed what I was staring at. "You're stickin' with water," he sneered, moving the jar to the other end of the bar.

I watched as a guy, 'The Wolverine' walked in, now fully dressed.

"I'll have a beer," he grumbled as he sat down a couple of seats away from me and tossed a $20 bill onto the counter. He put a new cigar into his stern looking mouth, and lit it.

The bartender opened a bottle of beer and handed it to him, taking the $20. The news came on the tv and the bartender turned it up. I kept my head down, listening to it and stealing glances at 'The Wolverine'. The news anchor started to speak.

"Ellis Island, once the arrival point of hundreds of thousands of American Immigrants is opening its doors again. Preparations are nearly completed for the upcoming ….." I started to tune it out. I could only think about the gnawing hunger in me and how it was affecting the life growing inside of me.

"……World's economic climate and weapons treaties, to the mutant phenomenon and its impact on our world stage."

I suddenly looked up when he mention the word mutant. It caught my attention and it must have gotten Wolverine's attention too, because he looked up at the screen. It made me guess that he was like me, a mutant.

'Savior guy' came up behind Wolverine and started pestering him.

"You owe me some money," he demanded.

Another man, possibly his friend came up behind him. "Come on buddy, let's not do this."

'Savior guy' waved him off. "Nobody takes a beating like that without a mark to show for it."

Again, his friend pleaded him to stop

"I know what you are," 'savior guy whispered into his ear.

"You lost your money. You keep this up, you'll lose something else," Wolverine threatened, almost inaudibly.

Now I was scared. I watched, as if in slow motion, 'savior guy' turned back to his friend, whip out a knife and headed toward 'The Wolverine'

"Look out!" I screamed without realizing it.

Wolverine had jumped out of his chair and had 'savior guy' pinned against a pillar by three foot-long metal claws coming out of Wolverine's hand. The claws were at his throat.

"Get out of my bar, freak!" yelled the bartender who held the barrel of a shotgun to Wolverine's temple. He shredded it, retracted his claws, grabbed his beer and stormed out of there. I waited until the screen door banged shut before grabbing my bag and following him.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun hadn't come up yet, but the sky was getting brighter. It was unbearably cold, and hiding under a plastic tarp didn't keep me warm one bit. Wolverine drove for a while, of course unknowing that I was hiding in the flatbed trailer he was pulling behind his camper. All of a sudden he started to slow down and then stop completely. I held my breath when I heard footsteps approaching, and prayed that he would either change his mind and turn around, or not find me.

There was no such luck.

He poked me and I couldn't help but shiver. He threw the tarp back and a wave of cold air washed over me. I squinted up at him in the suddenly bright light. Wolverine took a drag on his cigar.

"What the hell are you doin'?" he growled at me.

"I'm sorry. I needed a ride; thought you might help me."

"Get out," he ordered, picking up my bag and tossing onto the ice and snow covered road.

"Where am I supposed to go?" I asked as I swung my legs over the edge of the trailer and hopped down.

"I dunno."

"You don't know or you don't care?" I asked, annoyed.

"Pick one!" He shot an angry glance at me, made his way back to his vehicle, and opened the door and got in.

"I saved your life!" I yelled in a desperate last attempt to change his mind.

"No you didn't," he said nonchalantly as he closed the door and drove away.

My heart sank, but only for a minute. He stopped a couple hundred feet down the road and opened the passenger door. I grabbed my bag and ran for it before he could change his mind again.

X X X

"You don't have anything to eat do?" I asked after we drove for a minute.

He said nothing, just reached across me, opened the glove compartment in front of me and dropped a package of what looked like beef jerky on my lap. I took my gloves off, ripped it open and started showing pieces into my mouth as fast as I could, but slowed down when I realized how bad my manners were. I removed my hood.

"I'm Rogue," I said.

He didn't say anything. I noticed the dog tags hanging around his neck.

"Were you in the army?" I asked, hoping I could coax a conversation out of him. He only glanced at me. "Doesn't... doesn't that mean you were in the army?" I motioned toward his dog tags. He didn't respond, just slipped the pieces of metal under his shirt and focused on the road. I was curious, so I looked at my surroundings. Nothing much, except a 'housey' part in the back.

"Wow," I couldn't help saying it.

"What?"

I hesitated, then said, "Suddenly my life doesn't look that bad."

"Well, if you prefer the road……" he started.

"No! No," I reassured him. "It looks great…. looks cozy," I said embarrassed. I started to rub my hands together; it was so cold in there!

He noticed, then flipped a switch on the dashboard.

"Put your hands on the heater," he said, moving a hand toward mine.

I shrunk away into my seat, trying to get farther away from him.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, kid."

"It's nothin' personal," I explained. "It's just… when people touch my skin, somethin' happens." This wasn't completely true; the bracelets that hung from my wrists disabled my power, but I was still afraid.

"What?"

"I dunno, they just get hurt," I replied as I put my gloves back on. What happened wasn't very easy to describe, and I didn't really want to try.

"Fair enough," he mumbled with a cigar in his mouth. He removed it.

"When they come out," I said, referring to his claws, "does it hurt?"

"Every time."

I felt kind of bad for him. We drove in silence for about an hour or so, the snow had really started to pick up.

"So what kind of a name is Rogue?" he asked me, finally breaking the silence.

"I dunno. What kind of a name is Wolverine?" I sassed and smirked at him.

He sighed. "My name's Logan."

"Marie," I replied.

I looked out the windshield and saw nothing but white. I was suddenly very uncomfortable, and worried for Logan's well being, as well as my own.

"You know you should wear your seat belt," I suggested.

"Look, kid," he said sternly. "I don't need advice on how to…"

Next thing I knew we hit a tree that came out of nowhere. Logan flew through the windshield and lay face down in a snow drift, some distance away from me. I tried to undo my seatbelt, which was wrapped tightly around my slightly round belly. I couldn't get it loose and I panicked. I only had two thoughts running through my head: getting the hell out to save my child and if Logan were ok. I tried frantically to get out, but it was no use, I was stuck. When I thought things couldn't get any worse, they did. I smelled smoke, and flames slowly started to rise behind me. I coughed and spat. I was on the verge of tears; this wasn't how I wanted my life to end.

A miracle happened.

"Are you alright?"

I stared ahead. It was Logan, somehow unhurt. He was waling toward me. I gaped at him in awe.

"Kid, are you alright!?" he asked again.

I snapped out of it. "I'm stuck!" I yelled back.

He came to me and threw open the door. He unleashed his claws. I grimaced at the thought of what he was going to do. I closed my eyes and looked away as he carefully slipped a claw under the seatbelt and tore it. I grabbed my bag just as he was pulling me out.

"Run!" he shouted at me.

I did for a couple of yards, not far behind him, slipped and fell on my ass. He came back for me and picked me up, only to push me down and crouched on top of me a second later.

"Logan, what the…"

I heard a massive explosion that shook through me. I could see flaming bits of metal fall around us. Logan growled. I closed my eyes for what seemed like hours. I opened them and Logan pulled me up. My hand automatically went to my stomach.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded.

"Okay stay here," he said and walked off toward the burning truck.

"Logan!"

He turned around. "I'll be fine," he said and disappeared behind the truck. A few moments later, he came speeding out on his motorcycle, unharmed, and skidded to a stop in front of me. I stared at him.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get on!" he yelled over the roar of the motor.

I hesitated, then swung my leg over the back and sat down. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on for dear life. He revved the engine and we sped off. I ducked behind Logan's back to keep off the stinging sleet that had begun to fall.

"Logan," I yelled over the engine and the howling wind.

"What?" he yelled back.

"Where are we goin'?"

"I don't know yet."

A few moments later, we came up to a snow covered sign that said: Selkirk, Manitobia 1575 km, with an arrow pointing to the right. Logan turned the motorcycle right onto a different road.

X X X

We pulled into Selkirk long after the sun went down. The trip to the small dreary town consisted of two stops for gas and food and five stops in the middle of nowhere so I could go behind some trees to go to the bathroom. By the time we pulled into the parking lot of the Selkirk Inn, I could not feel any part of my body because I was so numb. We walked quickly across the dimly lit lot to the motel's lobby. The inside wasn't much brighter, just a glow from a small TV. The man at the counter was a middle-aged man wearing a red plaid flannel shirt and looked vaguely like a lumberjack.

"What can I do for ya folks?" he asked, looking up from the screen.

"We need a room," Logan replied.

"Two?" he asked when he noticed me behind Logan.

"Uh, yeah."

"That'll be twenty-fifty," he said and plopped a key down on the counter and returned to what he was watching. Logan took the key, replaced it with the money and turned to me.

"Let's go," was all he said.

When we walked outside an ice cold blast of air hit me in the face and made me shiver all over. We came to a door that said 2B; Logan unlocked it and stepped inside, flipping on a light switch. I followed him inside. Through the dim light I could make out two double beds with a small table between them. A lamp, phone and an alarm clock sat on the table. There was also a mall television that sat opposite the beds, a small closet and a bathroom. I dropped my bag and headed for the bathroom as soon as I saw it. Logan was standing there with his arms crossed when I came out.

"Somethin' wrong?" I asked

Logan shook his head, then went into the bathroom and closed the door. I sat down on one of the beds. I hate motels, but it was awfully nice of Logan to get us one for the night. I didn't realized how exhausted I was until I lay back on the bed. I wasn't so comfortable sleeping in the same room as a stranger, but he did say he wasn't going to hurt me, didn't he?

I picked up the TV remote that I had found on the table and switched on the set. There was nothing on any of the ten channels. I flipped through them numerous times before giving up. Logan had the shower on in the bathroom. I decided to try and get some sleep, so I shedded my green coat and slipped under the musty-smelling sheets. I left the light on so Logan could see. I tossed and turned for a while, but I realized, that as tired as I felt, I couldn't relax enough to sleep. The bathroom door opened and I heard Logan stepped out. I snapped my eyes shut, pretended to be a sleep

"You're still awake," Logan said after a few minutes. It wasn't a question.

I turned over to face him and propped my self up on my elbow. He was sitting on the bed next to me. "How could you tell?"

He shrugged. "Just a guess."

"Oh."

"You might want to get some sleep," he said as he slipped under the covers. "I don't know what time I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Where are we goin?"

"I don't know about you, but to me it doesn't look like there's anything in this town that's worth staying around for," he said and turned out the light.

"Oh," I said again, suddenly feeling unwanted.

"You can come along if you want," he offered after a moment of silence.

"Okay," I said, relieved. "Goodnight."

"'Night, kid."

X X X

'This will only hurt for a little while….'

'These bracelets, they suppress your mutation, so you can have your life back.'

'Set up a perimeter, don't let her escape!'

I woke up drenched in sweat, rivers of tears flowing down my cheeks. I cried silently to myself, trembling uncontrollably. I've had that dream many times before, and something about it is so realistic, so familiar that it scares me half to death and I'm afraid to go back to sleep afterwards.

It took me a while to realize that Logan was tossing and turning and moaning in his sleep on the bed next to me. I stood up unsteadily. My legs felt weak and I almost fell on top of Logan

"Logan," I called, placing a gloved hand on his bare… wait a minute, when did he change? His skin shimmered with sweat as well. "Logan, wake up," I whispered again, shaking his shoulder. He was still mumbling rather loudly, so I shook him a little harder.

"Logan!"

He woke with a start that made me jump. Then I was on my back. Logan had an arm laid across my chest, pinning me down on the bed. I stared up at three metal claws aimed at my throat, and a look on his face that could kill in itself. I couldn't speak, couldn't think or even breathe. I could feel his chest heave as he breathed heavily. Then his expression turned to that of confusion when he realized who he was about to decapitate. He let me up. I scrambled back from him, then fell off the bed and back into a corner to get as far away from his as I could. I could just barely make out an apologetic look in the expression of rage on his face as he tried to grab at me. Then he decided against if, grabbed his shirt off the floor, and left, slamming the door in a way that shook the whole room. After he was gone for a few minutes, the realization of what just happened sunk in and I barely made it to the bathroom before I threw up.


	3. Chapter 3

feI was in an unusually bad mood when I woke up the next morning; I didn't feel like getting up at all, but I did anyway. As soon as I removed the thin bedspread that was covering me, I quickly retreated back under it. The room had turned unbearably cold overnight; the heater must've been broken. I turned over and froze when I saw _him_ sleeping soundly in the bed next to me. The images of what happen in the middle of the night rushed into the front of my mind. I realized that I didn't feel safe being near him anymore, and I decided now, with him being asleep, was a good chance, if the only one, to make my escape. I went in the bathroom, put on my shoes and jacket and grabbed my bag. I was about to slip outside unnoticed, when I felt something grab my arm.

"Don't."

I slowly turned to face him and he didn't let go. I tried to read his face. He looked exhausted, like he hadn't slept at all, and was that desperation I saw in his eyes?

"Please…" Another attempt at making me stay. Why did he, after last night.

"I'm sorry about last night," he continued.

I didn't know how to respond, but I felt as if I had some fault in my near-death experience. The words were out of my mouth before I could stop them. "Me too."

"Yeah, just um," he started as he ran a hand through his wild hair. "Just don't try to wake me when I'm having a nightmare, alright?"

I nodded, unsure of what to do next. My bag was still sitting beside me, and I could have just left then and there, but I couldn't bring myself to do it.

"You know I can't make you stay," he assured me, letting go of my arm, "but…but it would be nice if you did."

"Okay…"

"But before we leave, you probably should shower, smells like you need one," he said, ruffling my hair. I blushed and winced at the gesture. Did I reek that bad?

The hot water felt like heaven on my skin, especially on my lower back, which had begun to hurt. I showered quickly, and changed into clothes that smelled the cleanest out of the pile in my bag. I came out of the bathroom. Logan was moving around the room, gathering his belongings together. Noticing me in the room, he asked me a question I hadn't expected.

"So, uh, how far along are you?"

I stood there dumbfounded and stared at my abdomen. The bump was barely noticeable through the shirt I was wearing. "Wha…how'd you know…?"

"I can smell it on you; your hormones are freaked out. You don't smell like any other woman I've been with."

Part of his mutation I figured. "Oh, um, five months I think," I answered, still shocked at his intrusiveness. Then without warning, tears spilled down my cheeks. Stupid mood swings. I turned away from him, hoping he wouldn't notice. I quickly wiped the tears away, only to have more reappear in their place. I sank onto the edge of my bed, covered my face with my hands, and sobbed, for no apparent reason. Then I felt his hands around me from behind, pulling me onto his lap. He held me there for a few minutes, as I sobbed into his shirt. I was confused; why did I feel so safe in his arms?

"What's wrong, kid?" he asked, with an alarmed expression on his face. He brushed hair away from my face.

I jerked away. "I don't know," I said as I tried to figure out exactly why I was suddenly having this crying fit. Then it dawned on me. "I guess I'm just so mad at myself for letting _him_ do this to me," I explained, pounding the bed with my fist, my sadness suddenly turning into anger.

"Who?"

"I don't know. All I remember is that I hitched a ride from some trucker back in Idaho. He said he would be able to take care of me. He seemed nice at first. We stopped at a bar. I asked for a drink, but I think he must have put some drugs or somethin' in it. I remember being really out of it, but…but then there's a length of time when I couldn't remember anything. I woke up naked next to him, in some ratty motel room. I was able to leave without wakin' him up. God, I don't even remember his name!" I started sobbing again.

He held me for another few minutes until I calmed down. He spoke again. "But I thought you said you hurt people when they touch your skin…"

"Yeah, but I got these bracelets," I said, peeling off my gloves and holding up my wrists. There was a thin shiny bracelet clamped to each wrist. After having them for months though, they haven't dulled yet. Then Logan did the weirdest thing, he sniffed them, and as he did so, his face paled. "I got these bracelets at a lab someplace, and they're supposed to disable my mutation. I don't exactly know how, but I guess they do."

We sat in silence for a moment. Feeling awkward, I shifted off his lap.

"Do you remember where the lab was at?" he asked.

"Um," I scrunched my up my face and thought really hard. "By a big lake, I think, and a dam."

He thought for a minute. "Okay, well, get your things together…" he started, but I cut in.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I think I just figured out where we are going next," he replied as I stood up.

X X X

"Logan," I said as I came out of the bathroom for the third time that morning. "Why do you want to go back there?" I knew I really didn't want to return there.

"I want to find some answers…about my past and stuff."

"Oh," I said, for lack of something else to say.

"I also have a strange feeling," he continued, "that wherever you got those bracelets is the same place where I got these." He unsheathed his claws with a distinct *snikt*. I jumped.

"What would make you think that?" I asked.

"I have a feeling that those bracelets are made from adamatium, like my claws," he said and moved toward me. "And if they are…" The claws protruding from his left hand slid back into his arm, and so did two from his right hand. He took my wrist in his left hand. "Do you trust me?"

I thought about it for a moment, then swallowed and nodded. He lightly scraped a claw across my bracelet, and the contact produced bright orange sparks. I jerked my hand away. He grabbed it back, and examined the bracelet.

"I knew it!" he exclaimed, as the claw slipped back into his arm.

I pulled my hand back again and examined it myself. There wasn't a scratch on it.

"How…?"

"The metal is indestructible," he explained.

I stood there in awe, reexamining the bracelet several times, but no scratches showed. And then it happened, a light ripple across my abdomen. My hand moved downed there. I gasped as I felt it again.

"What?" he asked, a concerned look on his face.

"It…I think it moved," I said as grabbed his hand and placed it wear I felt it move. Nothing happened.

"I don't feel anything," he said.

"Well…hmmm." I lifted my shirt up just enough to expose my slightly swollen abdomen, and replaced his hand. He quirked an eyebrow. I felt the ripple again, right where his hand was. Logan jumped. Yep, 'Mr. I'm such a badass' actually jumped when the baby moved. I couldn't help but giggle. He removed his hand and I fixed my shirt.

"What?" he asked.

I shook my head. "Nothin'," I said, a smile plastered on my face.

"How old are you, anyways?" he asked.

"I'll be eighteen in a couple days."

After we gathered out stuff, we left and headed north. It was snowing heavily and I could barely see the sides of the road. I had held on to his waist in a death grip; I really didn't like being out on an open vehicle in this kind of weather. After a while I was covered in wet snowflakes and soaked to the bone. Logan had only his leather jacket to keep warm, nothing to protect his head or hands from the bitter cold. I didn't get how he could stand it.

"Logan," I yelled, "I don't think this was a good idea!" If I had thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. Snow changed to freezing rain which pelted us.

"Yeah," he hollered back. "The next town that comes up we'll pull into."

"Don't you ever worry about how dangerous these roads can be?"

He didn't get to answer. We didn't see the truck that was swerving toward us until it was ten feet in front of us. The truck hit the motorcycle, throwing both me and Logan from it. I felt my back hit something hard, and then my world went black.


End file.
